


in the middle

by mechup



Category: Torchwood
Genre: F/M, Fade to Black, M/M, Multi, a lot of (friendly) arguing, make out sessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28475070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mechup/pseuds/mechup
Summary: This is not how any of them planned the night to go, but none of them are complaining.
Relationships: Ianto Jones/Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper/Ianto Jones, Owen Harper/Ianto Jones/Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper/Toshiko Sato
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12
Collections: Torchwood Fan Fests: 2020 Holiday Exchange





	in the middle

**Author's Note:**

> for tinytreeluminary who prompted Owen/Tosh/Ianto! thank you so much for requesting that, i'm very pleased my first Torchwood fic is polyam adkkdjd happy holidays & happy new years!
> 
> also i cannot BELIEVE it's taken me this long to write a fic with a title from this song by Dodie dkdkjd

_you said you’re into closure,_

_shake hands like you’re supposed to,_

_i’ll be in the middle,_

_you two get along._

_—In The Middle by Dodie_

* * *

  
  


Toshiko looks up at the sound of footsteps approaching and Owen comes into view. She glances at the time — it’s _that_ late already? — as he starts pulling on his jacket, getting ready to head out. 

“Still here?” he asks, but it’s just in the principal of it. He and Tosh both know the only one with even a semblance of a life that doesn’t revolve around Torchwood is Gwen, and she’d left hours ago for some holiday get together with Rhys and their friends. With her gone and Jack... wherever the hell he’s ended up, not that Owen even cares anymore (or so he tries to convince himself), that only leaves him, Tosh, and Ianto.

“Just wanted to get some things finished up here.” She smiles and he quickly prays that she won’t go into detail because he just wants to get out of here. Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to be adding anything more. 

“See you tomorrow, Tosh,” he says, returning the smile.

“See you,” she repeats, and he’s on his merry way for about four seconds before the lights shut off, burying the pair of them in darkness. 

“...Tosh?” he asks, stopped in his tracks. 

“Wasn’t me,” she says, just as confused as he is. 

“Ianto’s still here, right?” That’s the only thing he can think of, becauss the alternative is someone or something else has broken in and he’s rather not dwell on that at the moment. “Maybe he did something?”

“Maybe...” As if right on cue, Ianto turns the corner and enters the room. 

“What did you do?” he demands, the annoyance on his face telling them he must’ve been in the middle of something. 

“ _We_ didn’t do anything,” Owen says, eyes narrowed. “We thought it was you.”

“Well, _I_ didn’t do anything,” Ianto defends himself. “Are you sure neither of you touched something?”

“Yes!” Owen says at the same time as Tosh asks, “Is there something we _can_ do?”

“Tried simply turning on the lights, that didn’t work. It must be something bigger, so unless we find out what it is...” Ianto answers, then sighs. “I’ll go get us some torches.”

“ _Great,_ ” Owen says, already starting to take off his jacket.

“You might still be able to get out,” Tosh reminds him. “It could just be something wrong with the lighting system.”

“And let me guess, you and Ianto will stay to figure it out?” Owen asks. Tosh nods. “I’m not gonna leave you two on your own then. It’s fine, it’s not like I had anything better to do.”

Ianto returns with flashlights for each of them, giving his a toss in the air that he catches with ease. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find the problem, right?”

* * *

  
  


“Could you two stop bickering for _two seconds?_ ” Tosh asks when searching for the issue proves to be _very_ hard and over an hour later finds them back where they started, having made no luck whatsoever. “You’re like an old married couple, there’s only so much of it one person can take.”

“Ianto and I do _not_ act like an married couple. But listen, this could be the end of the world. Maybe something’s happened outside,” Owen suggests, then turns to Tosh and Ianto’s badly lit faces. “You sure neither of you want to have sex? This could be the end for all of us.”

“We’re not going to _die_ here, Owen,” Tosh mumbles.

“So that’s a no on the sex, then?” Owen asks, giving his best smile. Neither of them can tell if he’s serious or not, but after all the time they’ve known him they’re inclined to believe he _is_.

“Owen. Shut up,” Ianto demands through gritted teeth.

“Still not a no—” Owen’s words are cut short and it takes him a moment to realize it’s because Ianto’s lips are pressed against his, effectively silencing him. He makes a noise of surprise but quickly recovers, his eyes fluttering shut and his hands sliding into Ianto’s hair. He remembers himself a second later and breaks the kiss, trying to catch his breath. “Oh.”

“I didn’t mean to—” Ianto begins, but it’s his turn to be interrupted as Owen moves forward again, wrapping his arms around the back of Ianto’s neck to kiss him again. 

This is _not_ how any of them planned the night to go, but none of them are complaining. 

Tosh clears her throat as the kiss deepens, and the two men pull away again to look at her. Her face flushes when she sees their gazes and she has to ask, “You’re not... _actually_ talking about sex, are you?”

“Or we could just make out. That is a compromise I am willing to make,” Owen replies, removing his arms from around Ianto and taking a step towards her. “What do you say, Tosh?”

She immediately nods before she can stop herself and the next thing she knows, his lips are on hers. They move in sync, her hands gripping his shoulders as his hold her back. She’s thought about kissing him, of course she has, and she never thought it’d be quite under these circumstances but it’s still everything she’s imagined. 

She’s happy to continue like this for the rest of time, but then she remembers Ianto. She pulls away just enough that she can meet his eye and extends an arm towards him. “Ianto?”

He doesn’t waste a moment before obliging, taking her face in his hands before she even has the chance to step out of Owen’s embrace. He kisses her gently, until she deepens it herself and then it’s like he can’t get enough, his hands trying to reach as much of her as possible. 

Finally they run out of breath and break the kiss, and an uncomfortable silence spreads across the room. 

“So I guess sex _isn’t_ off the table, then,” Owen says at last, and they can’t even tell him to shut up again because that idea seems a whole lot more enticing now. 


End file.
